Sahyoun, who just retired as a surgeon at Deaconess, said Harvard should have been more involved in the process.

"Unfortunately, Harvard as a teaching place did not get involved at all, and unfortunately, the deans don't seem to have much control over the different hospital's activities," said Sahyoun, "but there is no question that Harvard should not allow their senior staff to be pushed around like this."

Sahyoun also said he has given similar advice to students about not coming to the Deaconess, and that he did not feel this was at all disloyal.

Peter N. Madras, a transplant surgeon at Deaconess and associate professor of surgery, who along with Sahyoun is an instructor in the class that Monaco directs, said the hospital's actions are incomprehensible.

"Dr. Monaco is an outstanding, internationally-recognized transplant surgeon," said Madras. "There's no credible reason in the world for him to be displaced, and he's fighting the displacement. It's not as if anyone has come up with any charges of incompetence or inadequate patient care."

Madras also said the charge of disloyalty was ridiculous.

"That's total nonsense. If a student comes back to a professor and asks for advice, the professor in confidence tells the person what he thinks is in their best interest," Madras said. "That's his obligation as a mentor and a teacher."

"And if that's disloyalty when a professor fulfills his role than what's left to the role of a teacher?" Madras asked.

He said, however, that he didn't think the merger had much to do with Monaco's case.

"The merger was just used as a smokescreen, probably had very little to do with it," said Madras